Castles of Scotland - Dalhousie Castle

LocationLasswade, Midlothian, Scotland

DescriptionDalhousie Castle is situated near Bonnyrigg, 8 miles south of Edinburgh. The castle was the seat of the Earls of Dalhousie, the chieftains of Clan Ramsay. The castle was purchased by the Von Essen Hotels company in 2003 . Dalhousie Castle is now a luxury hotel with hydrotherapy spa, luxury bedrooms and a formal fine dining restaurant.

HistoryThe castle dates to the mid 13th century when the first castle was built by the Ramsey family. The oldest parts still standing date to 15th century, and the majority of the current castle dates to the 17th century. King Edward I stayed at the castle on his way to meet Sir William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk. In 1400, Sir Alexander Ramsay withstood a six month siege at Dalhousie by English forces led by King Henry IV. The Ramsay family retained ownership of the castle until 1977. The castle was leased out to a series of tenants including a boarding school. In 1972, the castle was converted into a hotel. The castle was damaged by fire in 2004 but no major structural damage occurred.